


The Death Worker

by everythingfeelslikethemovies



Category: Curse Workers Series - Holly Black, Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Attempted Sexual Assault, Character Death, Eventual L/Yagami Light, Gangsters, Gen, Good Sibling Yagami Sayu, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Mediocre writing, Minor Character Death, Unspecified Setting, i don't know how to tag things yet please bear with me, light is a death worker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2020-12-21 16:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21077558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingfeelslikethemovies/pseuds/everythingfeelslikethemovies
Summary: Light Yagami is the intelligent son of the police chief who dreams of the day he can lock up every last curse worker in the city. But after being attacked by a notorious emotion worker, Light discovers he himself is the very thing he hates. Rather than taking the opportunity to gain some empathy and perspective, he decides to use his newfound gifts to slowly eliminate all the other workers. It's ideal... until a nosy detective decides to put a stop to the murders.





	1. Chapter 1

The hands of his watch couldn’t tick fast enough. Logically, he knew time was flowing at the same pace it always did. But he also knew his agitation and anticipation was preventing his mind from discarding the necessary bits of information, making each second last an eternity. He glanced at his watch again, and, for a moment, he thought the seconds hand had moved backwards instead of forwards.  
The trial should have been over an hour ago. It only takes his father twenty minutes to drive home from the courthouse, even on a busy day. Surely he was home by now. Light briefly entertained the possibility that Sayu had simply forgotten to text him, but he knew that was unlikely. If there was one thing Sayu was good at, it was recognizing when something really truly mattered to someone.  
He tapped the desk with his fingers. The sounds were muffled by his gloves, but he noticed a few of his classmates giving him a side-eye regardless. Light Yagami was not a fidgety person, and any reason for him to tap his fingers usually meant the worst for the rest of them.  
Little did they know it had nothing to do with the material his monotone teacher was reciting; Light couldn’t care less about worker rights. In this moment, he only cared about worker’s rights to go to jail.  
When his phone finally buzzed, his eyes widened. Stealthily as a fox, he slipped his phone out of his pocket.  
_“R. S. isn’t going to jail :( dad’s bummed”_  
Light scowled at the text message. He resisted the urge to throw his phone. Instead he rubbed his forehead and considered how to respond. Ultimately, he settled on: _“Tell him I’m sorry. He’ll get him next time, I’m sure of it.”_  
As he re-read the message, his stomach churned. For months, his father had been working late nights, investigating a serial emotion worker and rapist. Light had been helping with the case; one of his classmates had been a victim, and he was the only person she had felt safe confiding in.  
When the trial had begun, Light begged his father to let him sit in and observe, but, per usual, Soichiro Yagami insisted that school was more important.  
Although he knew it wasn’t true, Light entertained the idea that things would’ve been different if he had been in the courtroom. Perhaps he could have spoken as a witness, charmed the jury, helped them understand what justice meant. Maybe then the idiots wouldn’t have fallen for an emotion worker’s bullshit instead.  
Light took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger, but the more he thought about it, the closer he felt to snapping. There were at least four girls out there who could no longer feel safe walking around at night. Or, worse, they were still in love with the man who had attacked them. Even if, logically, they knew he had done something horrendous, their emotions were turned against them, forcing them to still harbor feelings for a monster.  
Emotion workers are disgusting.  
Before Light could fully slip into his brooding, his phone blipped once again.  
_“ik you’re upset too, just try not to let it ruin your whole day, k? <3”_  
_“Don’t worry. I’m fine. See you tonight.”_  
While Light normally took his time to gather his things after class, he found himself shoving his folders into his bag before the bell had even rung. He was practically out the door when the class was finally over.  
“Light? Light!”  
An ember of fury sparked in his stomach, but it was quelled when he realized the person calling him was Kiyomi Takada. He managed to plaster on a smile, as well as stopping to allow her to catch up.  
“You practically sped out of class, are you all right?” she asked with a laugh.  
“I’m fine,” he lied, still smiling. “I was just hoping to drop my things off at home before I go to cram school.”  
“Oh, that makes sense,” she said. “Well, I was hoping to talk to you after class, but then you ran off.”  
He laughed. “I’m so sorry, that’s unfortunate timing. But you caught up to me. What did you want to talk about?”  
She began to speak, and he tuned out. Women were easy to deal with; they could blabber on forever, and all he had to contribute were a few chuckles and an occasional ‘mhm’. To be fair, men could too. Especially if they thought they were debating. Out of his countless skills, Light considered the most valuable on a daily basis to be his ability to humor people with little to no effort on his part.  
Once upon a time, he thought Kiyomi was different. She actually demanded a certain amount of conversation from him, even calling him out if he seemed spacey. However, he eventually cracked through her shell, and she became just as talkative as every other girl. At least she seemed to make truly interesting points--when he bothered to listen, that is.  
Her clothes were very chic, as usual. Although her sleeveless turtleneck was black, and her skirt was grey, she wore a dark violet belt to match her gloves, creating a subtle pop of color that still felt mature and sophisticated.  
He noticed something off about her left hand. The middle finger of her glove had a patch of white--no, there was a hole in it. A weight settled in his stomach.  
The touch was so gentle, it almost felt like a loose hair was simply tickling him. He probably wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t spotted the hole in her glove; he realized it had been cut on purpose. He held in his disgust. “Hey, Kiyomi. How would you feel about sitting next to me in class tomorrow?”  
Light could see the different emotions flickering across her features. She was obviously thrilled with his suggestion, yet he knew part of her smile was relief her scheme had worked. He wondered if she’d feel guilty about it later. “Why? So you can cheat off me during the exams?” she teased.  
It took an enormous amount of self control to resist rolling his eyes. He laughed and replied, “Guilty!”  
She giggled. “I’d be okay with that.”  
Fortunately for Light, they had just reached the street he usually crossed at. Forcing another nonchalant laugh, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you later, Kiyomi.”  
“Goodbye, Light!”  
When he was a safe distance away, he tugged on his chain to look at the amulet. Just as he suspected, the charm was broken. He closed his eyes, disappointment welling in his stomach. Part of him had been interested in Kiyomi. But now he could no longer trust her.  
With a sigh, he pulled out a small plastic baggie to put the shattered remains. As he tucked it back into his pocket, he made a mental note to stop by the antique store on his way home from cram school.  
xxx  
Once the teacher settled into the lecture, Light flipped to the back of his notebook. In careful charts, he had six lists. Technically seven, but the seventh was only a header.  
In his small, neat handwriting, he added Kiyomi’s name to the list titled Emotion.  
“What’s that?”  
Light snapped out of his focus and looked up. As smoothly as he could, he closed the notebook and slid it back into his bag. “Just notes. We’re in a class, after all.”  
xxx  
Rather than making a right, Light turned left at the end of the street. He made sure his watch was safely covered by his coat, and he removed the tie that would out him as a student. As he continued further into the town, he began to lament the fact he didn’t have a hat to further conceal his identity.  
The antique store was relatively peaceful. It was merely a front for charms, and the owners weren’t foolish enough to store valuable items in a neighborhood like this. The bell that chimed as he passed through the door strangely calmed him.  
“The usual?” the woman asked, smirking at him.  
“Unfortunately,” he said. He had already counted out the money he would need, so he didn’t have to grab his wallet. He simply pulled out the cash and placed it on the counter.  
The woman offered a faux-sympathetic smile. “You’re just too handsome. They can’t resist you.”  
Light returned the smile, but he allowed some of his venom to show through.  
“I’ll see you in a week,” she joked, handing him a plastic baggie filled with seven red stones.  
He rolled his eyes and waved. He shoved the bag in his pocket and began to calculate. He wasn’t going to make it home until eleven at the earliest, and making the charms into wearable necklaces took at least a half hour each. Not to mention, he should at least attempt to study for--  
“Leave me alone! Assholes!”  
Light turned towards the commotion. Several men were surrounding a shorter blonde girl. Her red-gloved hands were balled into fists, but she didn’t exactly look prepared to throw a punch. None of the men were wearing gloves, which, while a crime, wasn’t particularly unusual for this area.  
His gaze zeroed in on one man in particular.  
Ryotaro Sakajo. Somehow, the scumbag was already out on the streets.  
Rage welled up in his stomach. His fists clenched so hard his leather gloves formed new creases.  
For a moment, Light considered walking away and just calling the cops. But he had no excuse for being in this part of town, particularly this late at night, and the girl would probably be worked by the time the police actually showed up.  
He dropped his school bag and stormed over. “Don't you have anything better to do?”  
Ryotaro looked up, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Well, if it isn’t mini-Soichiro. What are you doing here, twerp?”  
“Leave her alone,” Light said, shoving his way between Ryotaro and the girl.  
“And what are you going to do about it, punk?” he demanded.  
“I’d rather not do anything,” Light responded, glaring right back. “How about we all just walk away, and I don’t report you for walking around gloveless.”  
The men all laughed. Ryotaro pulled his hands from his pockets, revealing dark maroon gloves. “I think you’ll find I’m not doing anything wrong. So why don’t you mind your own business?”  
Ryotaro took a step towards the girl, but Light shoved him back. He stumbled, and he would’ve fallen if one of his goons hadn’t caught him. “I said leave her alone!”  
Before Light could react, one of the other men shoved his chest, knocking him to the ground.  
Light narrowed his eyes. In his peripherals, he could see the girl, frozen in horror as she debated whether or not to save him in return. “What are you doing? Get out of here!” he ordered. His words seemed to unglue her shoes from the ground, and she took off running.  
“Wait, no!”  
Light let out a relieved sigh as all the men failed to stop her.  
Ryotaro grabbed Light by the chin. “Seeing as you cost me my entertainment for the night, how about you make it up to me?”  
His goons cackled. “Really? Are you sure?”  
“He’s such a pretty boy, he might as well be a girl,” he sneered.  
“Don’t touch me!” Light jerked his chin away.  
“You won’t be acting like that for long,” he smirked, slowly pulling off his glove.  
Light’s eyes widened. He quickly kicked the thug in the shin and scrambled to his feet. Before he could get far enough away, he was grabbed by the hand. Light continued to run, however, and his glove slipped right off.  
“Get back here you shit! Bitch!”  
Light ran down a dark alley. To his horror, it was a dead end. He whirled around to find Ryotaro slowly approaching, no longer running now that his prey was cornered.  
“Don’t worry. I swear you’ll love it,” he smirked.  
“Don’t touch me,” Light repeated. “My dad will--”  
He laughed. “Your daddy has never been able to convict me.”  
Light’s heart was pounding. He had no options. As Ryotaro approached, bare hand outstretched, he gave in to his instincts. He reached up with his own bare hand and touched the man’s exposed neck. A strange feeling welled up in his stomach and spread through his arm to his hand.  
The man let out a strangled gasp before falling to his knees.  
Light stumbled backwards. He looked down at his bare hand. The very sight made his stomach churn. He shook his head. It wasn’t his fault, it wasn’t his hand.  
_I’m not a worker._  
Besides, even if he was, it was self defense, right?? He couldn’t be…  
_I just killed someone._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light returns home and deals with the blowback of his death work. Unsure if his first murder was merely a coincidence, he decides to test it once more.

“Misa, I don’t know if you should touch that.”

Misa shot Rem a look, reminding the older girl that she would do whatever she wanted, regardless of what Rem thought. She picked up the glove, examining it. “Do you think he’s okay? Maybe I shouldn’t have run away…”

“Misa,” Rem said, putting her own gloved hands on Misa’s shoulders. “If you hadn’t escaped, you could’ve been worked. And then who knows what could’ve happened?”

“I could have always worked that creep right back,” Misa argued. “I could’ve broken his stupid legs.”

Rem sighed. Absentmindedly, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind Misa’s ear.

“That boy… He saved me…” Misa whispered, clutching the glove to her chest. “What if he was worked instead?” Tears brimmed in her eyes at the thought. She couldn’t bear the thought of such a handsome stranger being put in harm’s way, especially on her behalf.

“You just have to hope for the best, Misa. I’m sure he can handle himself, otherwise he wouldn’t have stepped in.”

“I hope you’re right, Rem.”

xxx

He had to get home.

The shock had been crumpled up like a loose piece of paper and shoved in a tiny box, tucked away in his mind. With his calm facade back on, he had power-walked back to where he had dropped his backpack, scooping it up and carrying on as if he wasn’t desperately searching for his other glove.

Once he realized he wouldn’t find it unless he stopped to seriously look, he turned on his heel and began to walk home.

His hand felt… small. He was so used to the extra layer, and the feeling of rubbing his skin against his skin was unfamiliar and discomforting. He tried to keep his hand clenched, hidden safely away in his pocket, but he kept absentmindedly flexing his fingers and rubbing his palm. It was like losing a tooth and constantly prodding the hole. 

The anxious knot in his stomach was only pulling tighter and tighter.

A familiar figure was strolling down the street, and Light’s pocketed hands clenched into fists. It was Mogi, one of Soichiro’s co-workers. He was quiet and therefore Light’s favorite.

_Should I wave? Wait, I can’t wave, I’m not wearing a glove. Wait… I have my other hand. Focus, Light. You can’t look too suspicious. If you don’t wave, he might think you’re hiding your hands on purpose._

The officer gave a polite nod and continued to stroll, much to Light’s relief. He fumbled to remove his key with one hand and quickly unlocked the door, calling out a greeting to his mom as he rushed upstairs.

Back in the safety of his room, Light removed his calm and collected mask. He tossed his bag onto the bed and walked over to his mirror. He looked exactly the same as he did earlier that day, same amber eyes, same brown hair, same straight nose. He took a shaky breath and peeled off his remaining glove.

There was no such thing as a curse without blowback. It was the one thing stopping the more dangerous workers. Many dream workers had to deal with night terrors or sleep paralysis for weeks after performing a curse. Memory workers would lose their own memories as they manipulated the minds of others, sometimes to the point they could forget their own name. And death workers… With every life they stole, a piece of their own body would wither and decay. 

_If I’m a death worker, then part of me has to have died._

Light hadn’t felt any pain, not the way he’d imagine a blowback would feel. But the adrenaline from being attacked and… murdering someone… could have blocked out the pain.

He took a moment to prepare himself for what he might find. And then he began to unbutton his shirt.

With each button, more and more of his chest was revealed. But all he could see was his unmarked skin, smooth and pale, just as it had always been. He slowly slid his arms out of the sleeves and carefully folded the shirt. When he examined his arms, he again found nothing but unmarred flesh. 

Light looked down at his hands and tried to remember the most common death blowbacks. He felt as though fingers were a common one. He had seen a photo of a man where two fingers of his glove hung limp, a sign that the actual fingers underneath had rotted away. But all ten of his fingers were intact. 

An alternative crossed his mind, and he fought back the urge to retch. But, knowing he needed to just get this over with, he sat down on his bed and unlaced his shoes. He slowly peeled off his socks, dreading what he might possibly see. To his immense relief, all ten toes were there.

_“I heard about a worker who only lost a tooth every time he cursed someone. He became a hired assassin so he could afford gold teeth.”_

With his tongue, Light counted his teeth, finding they were all accounted for. He stood and looked in the mirror, pulling his lips back so he could examine them for himself. They were perfect, as usual.

Running out of options, Light unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants. Again, nothing seemed wrong.

Rolling his eyes, he pulled down his boxers just enough to check. He did a 180 turn so he could check his backside in the mirror before pulling his boxers back into place. 

Confused and exasperated, Light flopped back onto his bed. He began to feel around his stomach, prodding into the squishy bits just beneath the skin. Nothing hurt, nothing to suggest any of his organs had rotted away.

He rolled over onto his stomach and opened his laptop. Going into incognito mode, he began to google.

Before he could even finish typing, his door burst open.

“Light? Mom was wanting you to--” Sayu stopped in her tracks.

Light’s eyes widened. In his panic to just get to his room, he had forgotten to lock it. A blush spread across his face as he realized what it looked like. “Sayu! Why didn’t you knock??”

“Why didn’t you put a sock on the door?” she countered.

“I’m just trying to cool off!” he lied, fortunately able to keep the defensive edge out of his voice. 

She rolled her eyes. “Then turn your fan on, genius. Mom wants you to come look at some new clothes she bought for you today. She bought like a million pairs of gloves.”

He perked up. 

Grinning, she held out her hands, showing off a clean new pair of gloves. They were pale grey, with tiny blue and pink flowers embroidered on them. “Do you like mine?”

He nodded in approval. “Very cute. Tell her I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Okie dokie!”

After pulling on his red, waffle-knit shirt and pajama pants, he strolled down the stairs. 

Sachiko looked up from the stove to smile at her son, but the smile slid off her face just as quickly. “Light, why aren’t you wearing gloves?”

His heart skipped a beat. He was so used to wearing gloves, it had completely slipped his mind he had removed them. “Sayu said you wanted me to try on some gloves. It seemed a little silly to put gloves on just to take them off.”

“Okay. But you were wearing gloves at school, yes?”

“Of course,” he replied. 

Sayu’s head poked up from the couch. “One of my classmates took his gloves off yesterday.”

Sachiko’s eyes widened. “Where you near him??”

“No, I was over on the bench waiting for my friend,” Sayu chirped. “But he was fighting with this huge guy, and then suddenly he pulled his gloves off! I’m not even sure if he’s a worker, but the bigger guy ran away like he was a death worker or something.”

“Oh, help us all if he’s a death worker,” Sachiko murmured, putting a hand over her heart.

Sayu shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think he’s a worker. A lot of kids were saying he was just trying to scare the other guy cause he knew he couldn’t win a fist fight.”

“That’s exactly why it’s illegal to remove your gloves,” Sachiko said, giving Light a pointed look. “Kids can’t go around threatening each other like that.”

Light sighed. “I’m sure that boy will be brought to justice.”

Sayu rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t like he actually tried to curse anyone.”

Sachiko clicked her tongue. “Sayu. Don’t tell me you’re becoming one of those HEX lunatics.”

“_Mooom_,” Sayu groaned. 

“Workers cause nothing but trouble,” Sachiko huffed.

The box tumbled over, and the emotions it had been holding spilled out. Light stood, chair screeching against the floor. “I have some homework. Excuse me.”

xxx

He found himself pacing. If his mother could see him, she’d chuckle and joke about how he was turning into his father. But Sachiko was fast asleep, as was Sayu. Soichiro returned to work after lunch, likely throwing himself headfirst into another case to distract himself. 

Or… possibly he was investigating the sudden death of Ryotaro.

Light’s stomach churned from the possibility. He tried to take deep, calming breaths, but it did little to ease his panic. 

There was no way Light would be suspected. If anything, they’d suspect Ryotaro tried to assault a physical worker, and she made his heart give out. While it was uncommon for physical workers to murder with their curses, it happened on occasion. The blowback usually forced them to go to a hospital, thus leading to a quick arrest.

Maybe Light didn’t even work Ryotaro after all. He had never worked anyone before, and there was no blowback. Light wasn’t a curse worker. He just wasn’t.

He needed to test it. That was the only way. If he tried to kill someone, and it didn’t work, then he could rest assured. And then he could come clean about Ryotaro’s assault attempt. It wouldn’t be implicating himself, because he had nothing to do with the cause of death. It was just a coincidence.

Working up his courage, Light pulled out a black turtleneck and jeans. He shrugged on a heavy, ugly green coat he never wore, and pulled a grey beanie over his hair. After much debate, he settled on a slightly feminine, purple pair of gloves purchased for Sayu, but rejected due to the uncomfortable fit. 

xxx

As he scanned the crowd, several people stood out to him as potential targets.

Was that a bad thing? A normal person wouldn’t be so… judgemental, would they? 

It didn’t matter. Whoever he chose, they weren’t actually going to die, so no harm done. Worst case scenario, he got punched in the face for pissing off someone.

Outside a shop, he spotted an oily-slick young man talking to an old woman. Even from a distance, Light could see how the pinky finger had been cut off his glove. 

Light’s eyes narrowed.

When the man walked away, the old woman didn’t seem fazed. In fact, she seemed like she hadn’t spoken to anyone at all. That settled it.

He followed the crook, picking up his pace a bit to catch up. When the stranger turned down an alley, Light followed.

The thief looked up, unimpressed and unintimidated by Light. “What do you want, kid?”

“You just stole that woman’s wallet,” Light said. 

“And?” When Light didn’t reply, the thief scoffed. “Mind your own business. It’s not like it was your grandma.”

“Do you con old people often?”

“What’s it to you?” Light was quickly closing in on the man’s personal bubble, and the panic was starting to grow in the stranger’s eyes. “Hey, stay back.”

A warmth spread from Light’s stomach, the same feeling from earlier that night. As it spread up to his arm, he took a deep breath, accepting the truth without letting himself freak out over it.

In one swift motion, Light pulled off his glove and wrapped his slender fingers around the stranger’s throat. The man’s dark eyes dulled, and he let out a single choked gasp as he crumpled to the ground.

It was settled. 

Light was a death worker.

He stumbled away from the body, stomach suddenly aching. He grabbed the wall to steady himself.

They were humans. He had taken human lives. The ability to take life at will, no one… no human should ever have power like that. And yet… and yet he had been given the gift. Whether it had been within him all along, or if it was granted by some unseen power, it didn’t matter. 

The other fools, they only used their power for selfish reasons. But not Light. In fact, he would eliminate those using their powers to take advantage of others. He had to do it. There was no one else who could.

He may be a death worker, but he would not be a criminal. He would be a hero. And he would change the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the kudos!  
Sorry if this chapter was a little slow, I'm still trying to get my bearings when it comes to writing Light. I hope the details about blowback are making sense, as well as the whole-gloves situation. If not, I'll work on continuing to flesh it out in future chapters!  
L will be introduced soon I swear :)


	3. The Game Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soichiro Yagami doesn't believe the recent string of deaths are coincidence.  
The infamous L evidently feels the same way, and he already has some theories.

“The bodies haven’t shown any sign of struggle, no wounds, nothing to indicate a cause of death,” Aizawa said, flipping through the crime scene photos. “It’s like their hearts are just… stopping.”

Soichiro frowned, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. “Are they all workers?”

“Three of them were registered in the HBG database. One memory, two emotion,” Aizawa replied. “That’s not to say the others weren’t, but we don’t have concrete proof.”

“And the HBG tests only work on living subjects,” Matsuda groaned.

“Is there any chance it’s just a coincidence?” Ide asked. “Or maybe there’s some new illness going around.”

“The only other similarity among the victims is that they’re male,” Soichiro noted. “It’s… a bit unlikely several otherwise unrelated males all contract the same illness and die within days of each other. So spread out too.”

“Based on their tattoos, none of them are even from the same gangs.” Aizawa frowned at the photos. He zoomed in on a photo, showing off the scar around the victim’s neck. The scar tissue was grey and puffy, a result of packing the wound with ash before it can even begin to heal. The process is repeated until the gang member wears a necklace of dark keloid scars. “I guess four of them are confirmed workers. The Zacharov family wouldn’t let a regular that high in their ranks.”

Matsuda’s stomach churned at the sight of the scar.

“So you think that’s the link?” Mogi asked, startling everyone. It wasn’t that his voice was particularly loud or aggressive, just that he spoke so rarely it was a shock whenever he did.

“Yes, I do.” Soichiro scowled. “When I mentioned it to the boss, he laughed and suggested we let these murders continue then.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say,” Matsuda gasped. Without meaning to, he grasped his right hand in his left, as if protecting it. “Workers are still human beings, they don’t deserve to be murdered.”

“Figures he’d say that,” Aizawa scowled. While he wasn’t a worker, his wife and daughter were. Fortunately, his wife was only a luck worker. While the ability to give a person good or bad luck with only a touch was certainly a valuable skill, not many criminals were interested in luck curses. Their daughter had been tested as soon as she was old enough, and her HBG results were positive. The test wasn’t refined enough to identify what type of worker someone was, but Aizawa was relatively sure she’d be lucky, just like her mom.

“I appreciate that you want to help me,” Soichiro said, sensing the mood shifting. “But, it really is just a hunch of mine. It very easily could be a series of unrelated incidents.”

Matsuda piped up, “Your hunches always lead to something, chief!”

Before anyone could speak further, the door opened.

“This room is occupied for--” Aizawa cut himself off at the sight of the man.

“I beg your pardon. I am here on behalf of L."

xxx

Light’s eyes remained glued to the computer screen as he scrolled through the lists. He wrote name after name under his lists, marking stars next to the ones he wanted to look into further. He looked down at his handiwork and smiled. He had never been happier to see just how many workers lived in his city.

xxx

“I am L.”

The detectives looked at the stranger, eyes wide.

The boy looked no older than twenty, with bones poking out from under his pale skin, a loose white shirt practically hanging off his thin frame. His black hair stuck out at all-angles, long and unkempt. His eyes were like pools of ink, unreadable, and shadowed by dark circles. He wore a surgical mask over his nose and mouth, but it was unclear if it was a real mask or if it was merely fashion. (None of the detectives knew what kids were wearing these days.)

Matsuda reached out to shake his hand.

L raised his hand, but Matsuda quickly withdrew. Matsuda was wearing gloves, like any self-respecting member of society. They were meant to prevent skin-to-skin contact with anyone. But L’s hands were bare. If Matsuda had followed through with the handshake, L could easily slide his bare fingers up Matsuda’s sleeve and touch his bare skin. While it would be extremely foolish to attempt to curse a police officer (in front of four other officers, no less), there was no other explanation for the boy’s bare hands.

Before the police officers could demand an explanation, the L chuckled. “Ha, very good.” On cue, Watari handed L a pair of gloves, which the boy immediately pulled over his pale hands. “I’m glad you won’t be killed so easily.”

“It was a test?” Matsuda asked.

“Of course. This case in particular requires all involved to avoid being worked at all costs.”

“With all due respect, L, but most officers are trained to avoid curses,” Soichiro argued, more than a little offended. “We aren’t that foolish.”

A dark look flashed across L’s expression. “You’d be surprised, Chief.”

“What did you mean by ‘this case in particular’?” Matsuda asked. “Isn’t it always important to avoid getting worked? That’s… that’s why everyone wears gloves.”

“If you are unable to avoid workers properly, you could end up dead,” L answered. “You see, I suspect these murders are linked to death work.”

Matsuda’s eyes widened. “You think Kira is a…” His voice dropped to a hushed whisper, “death worker??”

The last known death worker in Japan was born just two years before Matsuda. The worker had been put on death row a few days after Matsuda’s high school graduation.

Death workers were extremely rare, second only to transformation workers. The hypothesis is that the blowback either kills off the workers before they can reproduce, or it rots away organs vital to reproduction. This is all based on the unproven theory that being hyperbathygammic is soley related to genetics.

“Kira?” L repeated, as if testing it out on his own tongue. He scoffed and asked, “Is that what the newspapers decided to call him?” He shook his head with a scoff and settled into a chair, pulling his knees to his chest.

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Aizawa said, giving the young detective a skeptical look, “What makes you think kira is a death worker?”

“I know death work when I see it,” L replied. “It’s been a long time, but I was once very close with a death worker.”

“Following the assumption these deaths are caused by a curse worker, that could suggest it’s a gang, rather than a single killer. There’s rumors of a death worker gang in America, it could have spread to Japan,” Soichiro suggested.

L chewed on his thumb for a moment. “That is an excellent point, and certainly worth considering. However, my instincts are telling me it is only one worker. The scope is so limited, if it were an entire gang you’d think they’d spread the killings at least to other cities.”

Soichiro shook his head in disbelief. “Why would someone curse so many people in a short span of time? The blowback will kill him before we can even find a suspect!”

“Considering the targeted victims, this particular kira views himself as a martyr. Or perhaps his blowback is so insignificant he doesn’t take it seriously.” L bit his thumb, staring at the ceiling. “Mogi? From my understanding, you’re quick at gathering information.”

Mogi was startled, but quickly nodded.

“Can I ask you to find any and all information about the severity of death work blowback? As well as physical indicators of the blowback, such as scarring or injury?”

“I will get right on it.”

“Thank you.”

Matsuda frowned and raised his hand a little. “L? If… if you think kira is choosing his targets based on the database, maybe we should try to shut it down. At least for a while.”

L sucked on his spoon for a moment before answering. “I worry about doing that. You see, if we remove his resources, he might start killing innocents.”

Aizawa frowned, but kept quiet.

"All that being said, I just wanted to introduce myself to this task force, and make my intentions clear. I will be investigating this killer. And I think it's for the benefit of all that we work together to apprehend him."

The rest of the police officers murmured in agreement.

"For now, this meeting is over. I'll have Watari contact all of you to discuss plans moving forward."

Everyone began to file out, but Soichiro hesitated, feeling the unsettlingly dark eyes lingering on him.

"Chief Yagami? I was hoping I could talk to you in private."

"Yes? What is it?"

"It's about my suspect list."

xxx

“Welcome home!” Sayu chirped.

Light looked up to see his father walking through the door. It suddenly struck him he hadn’t seen his father since before Ryotaro’s death.

Sayu clearly hadn’t seen him in a while either, as she hopped up and ran to give him a hug. He smiled fondly. When she pulled away to beam at him, he gave her an affectionate head pat.

“Hi, Dad,” Light said. “Welcome home.”

Soichiro nodded and gave Light a small smile. He walked into the kitchen, placing a hand on Sachiko's shoulder and giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

Light looked back down at his book, frowning.

"You're home just in time for dinner, honey."

"Good. There's... there's something I need to talk to the family about."

Fifteen minutes later, the Yagami family sat around the table. Sayu was already slurping at her soup, but Light couldn't eat, his stomach was too tight. He kept his gaze lowered, but he was anxiously waiting for his father to speak.

Finally, Soichiro took a deep breath, as if ready to speak, but no words came.

“Sweetheart? What is it?” 

“The murders I’ve been looking into recently, we’ve come to the conclusion there is a serial killer,” Soichiro said. Sachiko gasped. “We believe he’s targeting workers, so Sayu and Light are safe. But there’s no telling if he’s willing to kill those investigating him or not.”

Sayu’s face went pale. 

“Does it seem likely he might target you?” Sachiko asked, touching her husband’s arm. Light wondered if she could feel anything through her gloves. Even if she could, Soichiro’s police-grade shirt was made of thick, tightly woven fibers that made it nearly impossible to make contact with his skin.

“It’s hard to say. But it’s not like I’ve never dealt with killers before." The chief forced a smile, one that didn't fool any of his family. 

“That’s very brave of you, Dad. I admire you looking out for the workers being targeted," Light said. "I've overheard people talking about it at school. A lot of them seem to... agree with what Kira has been doing. It just isn't right."

Soichiro's smile softened.

xxx

Computer screens all around the room cast a blue glow on the hunched figure as he spun around on his swivel chair. His head was nearly bent at a 90 degree angle as he listened to the voices coming through the headphones.

The gentle voice, Soichiro's wife, was complimenting him on his bravery.

L scoffed to himself. Most of the conversation seemed to be the chief's family showering him in compliments. He wondered if every family dinner went a similar way, or if they would rotate who would receive praise on a given night. 

"Dad, do you think you'll catch him soon?" This came from the younger voice, Sayu? She had been quiet most of the dinner.

"I certainly hope so. But, again. He's only targeting workers. You're safe, Sayu. I won't let anyone hurt you, I swear on my life."

Sayu hummed in response.

L perked up as the fourth Yagami spoke again: "And if anything happens to you, Dad. I swear, I'll avenge you. I'll bring this kira to justice." 

L rolled his eyes so hard his entire head moved. He glanced up at Watari, giving a wry smile.

Watari didn't respond, but L recognized the look in his caretaker's eyes. 

A few minutes later, Soichiro's voice came through again, muffled, but also louder. "There. None of them suspected they were being recorded. Did you hear everything?"

"Loud and clear, Chief. Thank you."

"And your suspicions?"

"It was only one conversation, Chief Yagami. I can't fully make a decision based on that." Untrue, L had already made his decision before even hearing his suspect speak. But he couldn't exactly tell the suspect's father that. Not yet. "That being said, I appreciate what you've done. I'll contact you tomorrow. For now, get some rest."

After clicking off, L took a deep breath and swiveled his chair so he could wake up his computer. He had some more research to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks so much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing! Sorry this chapter took so long, I was struggling with how to introduce L. I'm still not thrilled with it, but it gets the job done.


	4. The Shinigami

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of Ryuk, a member of the Shinigami gang.

Rem grumbled to herself as she walked down the hallway. The obnoxious knocking only grew louder as she neared the door. She glanced at the clock as she walked by: 2:56. As she reached for the door handle, she had decided she was going to kill him.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, only opening the door enough to peek out and glare at her brother. 

“Need a place to crash,” he replied, voice hoarser than usual. 

“Misa is here.”

Ryuk scoffed. “Just lock your bedroom door if you don’t wanna just trust me.”

Rem pursed her lips before slamming the door shut. 

A smile spread across Ryuk’s face as he heard her sliding the chainlock

“Only for tonight.”

Ryuk nodded before stumbling towards the couch. He fell onto it, letting out a low groan.

“You seem worse than usual. How many people did you curse?” 

“Only two,” Ryuk answered. “I guess my age is catching up to me.”

Even though her stomach was burning with anger, Rem still found herself rummaging through the kitchen for apple juice and tea bags. As she mixed the drink, she fought back tears. She had told her brother so many times that she didn’t want anything to do with him, not as long as he was part of a gang. And yet here she was, making him his favorite goddamn tea and letting him stay at her house while he dealt with blowback. 

“Aw, you remembered.”

Rem scowled. “I’m going back to bed.”

“G’night.”

Although she tried to be quiet reentering the room, Misa still lifted her head and yawned, “Rem?”

Rem locked the door behind her before climbing back into bed. “My brother is going to spend the night on the couch. Don’t worry, just go back to sleep.”

Misa nodded drowsily and put her head back to the pillow.

Normally the presence of Misa was enough to lull Rem to sleep within minutes. But she found herself tossing and turning, unable to relax. Ryuk’s snoring was barely audible through the sound-proofed walls, but it grated on her nonetheless.

She rolled onto her side so she could look at Misa. It was only in sleep that the blonde could ever look so calm. The only movement was the slightest flutter of her eyelids and the rising and falling of the blanket covering her. Rem sighed and ran a gentle hand through a loose piece of hair, tucking it out of Misa’s face. 

Misa was the sole reason Rem had left the world of workers behind, left her own brother behind. Misa was a worker herself, but she had fortunately avoided being drafted into any organized crime. Misa had ambitions, dreams that couldn’t be fulfilled if she were ever exposed as a worker. Therefore, if Rem wanted to be part of Misa’s life, she couldn’t be a known worker, let alone a criminal. 

If Misa knew that Rem’s brother was still actively cursing… Well, Rem was determined that Misa would never find out.

xxx

“As many of you have heard, there is a serial killer in the city.” 

Although Light felt his stomach tighten, he remained cool and composed on the outside. He kept his gaze locked just above the officer’s head. 

“This announcement isn’t meant to alarm you, but we are looking into the idea that it is a death worker. If you see someone without proper hand coverage or with deliberate holes in their gloves, we strongly urge you to report it to either a principal, or to the hotline we have set up.”

“Isn’t kira only targeting workers though?” 

Light glanced at the student.

“Yeah,” another piped up. “Why should we be worried?”

“I am not able to make any statements in regard to potential victims. All I can say is a death worker means potential danger for everyone. We want you to be safe and smart. The police department is also handing out free latex gloves for anyone who can’t afford to replace an old pair.” The officer asked for any further questions, but no one seemed to have any.

“Thank you, Officer.” The teacher gently escorted the officer to the door before turning back and clapping her gloved hands, seemingly eager to get on with the course material and to stop discussing city crime. The students, however, were less interested, and they continued to whisper even as she began reading from her notes.

“Who says kira is even a worker anyway?”

“I think L did.”

His ear burned at the mention of L. L was infamous among the police department. Half the officers despised the ghost detective, claiming he was nothing more than a vulture, swooping in and taking the credit after the case was almost closed. Others, like Soichiro, would argue that, as long as justice is served, it shouldn’t matter who officially solved a case. 

There was a brief phase in middle school where Light was… interested… in L’s portfolio. He begged his father for any of the case files the NPA had access to, and, for the remaining files, Light learned how to hack soley for his research. He poured over the crimes, examining every piece of evidence and trying to follow the great L’s train of thought. It was like a game, trying to see if his mind worked in similar patterns to one of the greatest minds in the world. 

It had once been Light’s dream to be as successful a detective as L. 

That was before Light realized there was a faster way to make the changes he wished to see.

“I don’t care what L thinks. There’s no way it’s just one person. If anything, it’s an entire gang. And there’s nothing new about death worker gangs.”

“But why would a worker gang start going after other workers?”

Rolling his eyes, Light glanced at his watch. Just another half hour and he’d be free.

xxx

Another day, another kill. Light smirked to himself as the man collapsed. No one was even around to freak out, and they were both outside the security cameras line of view. It’d be hours before anyone found the worthless worker, and Light would be long gone.

“Hey, kid.”

Light tensed up, but otherwise kept his pace. 

“Kid! I’m talking to you!”

He was cornered. He turned around to face the stranger. 

The stranger loomed above him, taller than anyone Light had ever seen. (Probably not, but in the moment it felt true.) Just from a glance, Light could tell this man was a death worker. His skin was covered in dark grey scar tissue. 

“What do you want?”

“I saw what you just did,” the man growled. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He laughed. It was a terrible, hoarse laugh that sounded more like he was hacking something up. Light briefly wondered if the scar tissue extended to his vocal chords. “There’s no point in lying to me, I know death work when I see it.”

Light tightened his fists, debating whether he needed to throw hands to escape or not.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn you in. My name’s Ryuk. If you couldn’t tell, I’m a death worker too. I’m actually a professional.” With his long, blackened fingers, he produced a black business card. All it said was ‘Shinigami’ in silver lettering. “We’re always looking for new recruits. Death work is rare, you know. How’s your blowback? You didn’t even flinch when you worked him.”

“I don’t want to join your gang,” Light spat. 

Ryuk laughed again. “That might be the first time a kid has talked to me like that. You’re bold, I like it. But you might want to consider it, it pays just as good if not better than what you’d expect.”

“I don’t need the money, okay?”

Ryuk looked Light up and down, at the yellowed shoes, the baggy khakis, the ugly puff vest. “Are you sure about that?”

Light bristled at the comment. “I have a plan, okay? I’m not just… wasting my curses.”

The gangster snickered again. “Right, of course you are.”

“But joining a gang is not part of the plan. Now, leave me alone.”

“Fair enough,” Ryuk chuckled. “But I’m going to keep an eye on you. You’re… interesting.”


	5. The First Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Light meets Ryuzaki

As he stepped outside, he took a deep breath of the fresh air and then let it out, closing his eyes. While the weather wasn’t exactly comfortable, it was worlds better than the stuffy, crowded interior. He rarely had issues masking his emotions, but he didn’t want to risk appearing agitated and ungrateful--not after all the work his mother had put into planning the party.

When he opened his eyes, there was someone in the corner of his vision. He jumped, turning to face the stranger. The stranger lowered the cup he was drinking from and looked at Light over the rim. His eyes were so incredibly dark, like black holes absorbing all the light. In the streetlights, his dark hair seemed to glow blue, and it stuck up at odd angles like a porcupine. Other than his hair and eyes, the stranger was almost frighteningly pale, to the point Light wasn’t sure he wasn’t a ghost. He gave a quizzical look, and Light realized he had been holding his breath. 

“I didn’t realize anyone else was out here.” Light forced a laugh.

“I came out here almost immediately upon arriving. I’m very not fond of crowds,” the stranger replied. “You’re very popular, Light Yagami.”

It was a graduation party in Light’s honor, yet it still unnerved him how the stranger knew his name. “I’m sorry, I don’t really recognize you. Are you one of Sayu’s friends?” Despite it being Light’s party, Sayu had been allowed to invite a few guests so she wouldn’t be bored. But they had all gone up to her room within an hour, so it was a poor guess. 

“No, I wouldn’t consider myself a friend of hers,” he replied, as monotonous as he had said everything else.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Your father invited me.” As if that answered everything, no further questions.

Soichiro had invited a few of his colleagues to stop by, so far, Matsuda was the only one who had stayed more than an hour. Light glanced inside to see Matsuda rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. He couldn’t see who the officer was talking to, he only hoped it wasn’t anyone important. Light turned back to the stranger. “What’s your name?”

“Ryuzaki.”

He held the stranger’s gaze for as long as he could bear it. He had to look away, look back inside. There was something intense in Ryuzaki’s eyes that unsettled him to his core. “How do you know my father?” he finally asked.

“He’s an acquaintance of my own father.” Ryuzaki pulled a strawberry out of his pocket and took a bite. “And I never turn down free food.”

Reeling from the secret strawberry, Light asked, “Did your father come as well?”

“He cares even less for parties than I do,” Ryuzaki shrugged. “And Soichiro only invited me.”

“That’s… a bit strange, I must admit. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you come?”

“So I could meet you.”

Light faltered. “Me? Wh-why would you…” He wasn’t sure how to end the question. If this stranger came to meet him, then why was he hiding outside? Why didn’t he actually try to meet him? Was he just… hoping by some chance Light would get overwhelmed and come outside? Briefly, Light entertained the thought that this Ryuzaki wasn’t invited, and in fact was here to kill him. The explanation almost made more sense… why else would he--

“Ah, that was my last strawberry.” The tone didn’t match his devastated expression, which would’ve been comical if Light hadn’t been spiraling. Ryuzaki gave Light a polite nod. “I’m planning on eating every last strawberry in your home, so if you want any, you’d better act fast.” He paused in the doorway, offering a small, yet disarming, smile. “It was nice meeting you, Light Yagami.”

Never before had his name sounded like a challenge, as if Ryuzaki was throwing down some kind of gauntlet despite his retreat.

For once, Light found himself at a loss for words as he watched the stranger go inside. When he finally collected himself enough to go inside, he scanned the crowd for Ryuzaki. But the dark haired stranger was nowhere to be seen. A large hand clapped on his shoulder, and he found himself pulled in as his uncle shouted anecdotes. He forced a smile and told himself it wasn’t disappointment brewing in his stomach.


	6. A Second Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By random chance, Light runs into Ryuzaki for the second time.

The second time Light ran into Ryuzaki was at another party. 

When Light had initially received the invitation—a forwarded text from a female classmate detailing time and place—he had scoffed to himself and sent back a noncommittal RSVP. Until he realized a party would make for a decent alibi. 

It had been weeks since he had last cursed someone. His palms itched beneath his cotton gloves, practically begging to be freed. 

The hiatus had been carefully planned. He knew he wouldn’t have time with entrance exams and graduation, but he didn’t want the killings to cease conveniently when he was busy. So he stopped in advance. And he promised himself he wouldn’t kill again for a while after, so the return of kira wouldn’t line up with his own free time. 

But it had been long enough. And he was tired of waiting. 

The plan was simple. Arrive at the party, make sure people noticed his arrival. That part wouldn’t be too hard. And then he’d slip away after a decent amount of time, ideally unnoticed. 

As expected, several people drunkenly shouted his name upon arrival. As expected, several girls rushed up to greet him. 

He already had his most charming mask set in place. He greeted everyone with a hint of flirtation and all charisma. 

It was only when he noticed Ryuzaki that he faltered. 

Perhaps he should have ignored the man and mingled. But his feet carried him to the dark corner, and he heard himself calling a greeting.   
When Ryuzaki’s gaze met his, Light’s stomach flipped. 

“I thought you said you didn’t like parties,” Light teased. 

“I believe I also said I don’t turn down free food,” Ryuzaki replied. He carefully moved a pillow to reveal an entire bowl of cherries. He plucked one and put it in his mouth before covering the bowl again. 

“Did you take those from the bar?” Light asked, glancing back at the girl mixing drinks. 

“Hm.” Ryuzaki pulled a knotted cherry stem from his mouth. “That depends. Are you going to report me?”

“I’ve already got my father on the line,” Light joked. 

A faint smile tugged at Ryuzaki’s lips.   
There was something so easy about talking to Ryuzaki. They fell into conversation as if they were old friends. It was only when the conversation steered towards criminal justice, and Light almost admitted some of his more radical thoughts, that he felt a pang or anxiety. He did not know this man. He would not trust him. Serial killers don’t get away with it if they drop clues to strangers. 

“Do you want a drink? Maybe to put the cherries in?” Light asked, deciding he needed a moment. 

“Shirley Temple.”

The girl manning the bar gave Light a sheepish grin. “I don’t have any cherries, is that okay?”

“Absolutely,” he said, flashing a grin. “Thank you.”

When Light returned with the drinks, Ryuzaki smirked a little. “Water?”

“What’s wrong with water?” Light asked.

“Nothing. Very hydrating. Must be why your skin is so clear.”

For some reason, Light felt his cheeks warm a bit. It wasn’t delivered like a compliment, but it was flattering nonetheless. 

He had been feeling zesty, so he had kindly asked for a few lemon slices. He wanted to point out that his fruit hadn’t been stolen, but he paused that thought when he noticed Ryuzaki’s expression. 

“You don’t like lemon?” Light asked. 

Ryuzaki wrinkled his nose. 

Light smirked a little as he squeezed the first slice of lemon into his water, leaving the other two on the tiny plate. He nudged it closer to Ryuzaki, as if it wasn’t an intentional challenge. 

“Forcing me to eat a raw lemon isn’t going to change my feelings.”

“I’m not forcing you to do anything,” Light said innocently. He took his lemon wedge and began to suck on it, expression remaining neutral as he tasted the sour juice. 

After a moment, Ryuzaki took the other slice. Immediately his face pinched up. He shook his head wildly, as if that would remove the taste. 

Light laughed at him. “Too sour?”

“Five percent.”

“What?”

“What?”

They stared at each other for a long moment, each waiting for the other to guide where the interaction would go next. 

Evidently, nowhere. 

“I actually need to get going,” Ryuzaki said. “I’m supposed to meet someone.”

“At two in the—“ His voice cracked a little as he looked at his watch. Where on earth had the time gone? 

“Can’t be late for it, I’m afraid. I’m glad we ran into each other. Perhaps it’ll happen again.” Ryuzaki reached out to shake Light’s hand, and, for a moment, Light panicked. 

Light stared at the gloved hand for a moment, scanning the seams for holes. He finally accepted Ryuzaki’s hand and shook it. 

Ryuzaki slipped away, and then it was like he hadn’t been there at all. Just a shadow. 

Light sat there alone for a moment before realizing this was his chance to slip out. 

But when he made it to the street, he found it empty. A ghost town. 

Any chance he had at catching a worker had been lost in those hours spent with Ryuzaki. 

The itch in his palms flared up, and anger bubbled in his stomach. So stupid. He should have paid more attention to the time. Who cares if Ryuzaki thought it was strange that he left early. Ryuzaki wasn’t anyone important, it’s not like he was going to report the mildly suspicious activity to Soichiro. 

Light forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. Tonight wasn’t the night. And he wasn’t going to curse some random petty thief just to satisfy the urge. 

When he opened his eyes, he startled. Sitting on a nearby bench was a black cat with the biggest eyes he had ever seen. Its long, silky fur stuck out in little spikes. It wasn’t matted the way Light would’ve expected from a stray. 

He stared at the cat for a long moment, as if waiting for it to do something. But it remained perfectly still, staring at him as if nothing in the world mattered more. 

Light finally tore his gaze away from the creature and headed home.  
Light finally tore his gaze away from the creature and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! I’m so glad you guys are liking this. I’m trying to stop overthinking my updates, because I really really want to get to the fun stuff!   
Here’s another interaction between the boys.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh there's an f-bomb in this chapter. Tread lightly lest it go off.  
Light is slowly getting more powerful. But he's also getting more reckless. Ryuk attempts to warn the kid.

Light hated how easy it was to brush his fingertips against bare skin. How easy it was to curse even with his gloves on. All countermeasures to protect against workers were practically useless, just placebos. He vaguely recalled watching American PSAs about nuclear warfare: a cartoon turtle informing the public to “duck and cover” if a bomb was dropped. Everyone in Japan knew that was bullshit. But it was meant to ease panic, reassure the general public that they were safe.

Just like a weapon, Light was growing more deadly. He looked down at his watch. It had been nearly two minutes since he had touched the man. As casually as he could, he stepped off to the side and knelt to tie his purposefully loosened shoelaces. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the man collapse. 

While everyone else panicked and rushed to help, Light held back a smile. He managed to play it cool, to appear decently concerned by the commotion, but ultimately moving on as if he had places to be. 

A block away from his home, he felt a prickling at the back of his neck. He whirled around, terrified someone had been reaching for his exposed skin. But there was no one. 

xxx

"Dumbass kid," Ryuk grumbled. 

For all Light's confidence, he sure was bad at spotting the people actually following him.

A tall, dark-haired man had been tailing the kid for several blocks. And, sure, Ryuk only knew that because he himself had started to follow Light too. But that meant there were two stalkers Light wasn't noticing. Noticing potential stalkers was crime 101, as far as Ryuk was concerned.

Ryuk wondered if this stranger was the famous L. An undercover shinigami at the police department had reported back that the notorious detective was working on the kira case. And, if this man really was L, Ryuk was almost impressed at how quickly he had narrowed down his search. Almost.

He briefly entertained the idea of killing the man just in case. 

But then, why should he stick his neck out for some punk that wasn't even part of the family? Who had seemed absolutely appalled at the very idea?

No, Ryuk wasn't about to risk it all for Light. But maybe he'd give the kid a heads up. After all, workers need to stick together, even if Light didn't realize it yet.

xxx

“Why are you following me?” Light demanded. 

Ryuk cackled. “I told you, kid. I was going to keep an eye on you.”

“You’re going to get me caught,” Light hissed, scanning the street for cameras. Fortunately, this area didn’t have much surveillance. He stepped closer to Ryuk, scowling. “It’s hard enough to avoid getting detected when I’m being stalked.”

“Pretty sure you’re going to get caught soon anyway, kid,” Ryuk replied. He reached into his pocket and held out an apple. A peace offering? Light wrinkled his nose at it. Was he the only sane person in the city? Or was it suddenly okay and normal to store fruit in ones pocket?

Ryuk shrugged and took a huge bite.

“What makes you say that?" When Ryuk didn't immediately answer, panic shot through Light's stomach. "Are you planning on turning me in??"

“I'm going to let that slide since I know you're new at this working thing. But, for future reference, don't even joke about me being a snitch," Ryuk said, eyes flashing. With just a tilt of his head and straightening his posture, the man transformed from a goth jester-looking motherfucker to the incredibly dangerous mafia worker he truly was. Light felt his stomach drop, and he made a mental note to recategorize his opinions of the man. The frightening expression faded away, and Ryuk continued, "I got eyes and ears everywhere, kid. It’s part of the business. And, rumor has it, that detective has singled out a suspect in the kira case.”

“I’m not worried about L.”

Ryuk snickered. “You’re pretty arrogant, aren’t you? You know what happens to arrogant workers?” He paused, but not long enough to let Light answer. “They get caught. If they’re lucky, they go to prison for a few years. The unlucky ones end up being owned by the government. They’ll have you doing their dirty work until the blowback rots away your entire body. Does that sound good to you?”

After a long consideration, Light answered, quietly, “I’m not going to let that happen.”

“You’d better hope not, kid.”

xxx

As the punk scuttled away, Ryuk tossed the apple core into the trash and scanned the surrounding area. 

He caught the gaze of some civilian, and he decided he didn't like the way that man was looking at him.

Besides, it had been too long since his last curse, and he had an itch to scratch.

xxx

“Hey, Light?”

His eyes fluttered open. He hadn’t realized it, but he had fallen asleep at his desk. After quickly checking that he had been working on homework and not a murder list, he turned towards his door. “Sayu?” His head cleared the moment he saw her expression. “Sayu, what’s wrong?”

She walked in, sniffling. He rose and moved to his bed, gesturing for her to come sit beside him. She took a seat beside him, gloved hands balled up in her skirt. Just when he was about to repeat himself, she dissolved into tears. 

His chest tightened, and he scooped her into his arms. Her shaking hands grasped onto his sweater as she cried. He could already feel the damp tears and snot soaking into the fibers, but he pushed those thoughts away. There were more important things to worry about than an easily washable shirt. He rocked back and forth, soothing her hair and waiting for her to calm down. When she finally had, he asked, “What happened?”

“Promise you won’t tell mom or dad?”

“Within reason,” he replied. His mind had already created a mental list, preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best. The best being some petty drama? He didn't know. But it wouldn't be the first time Sayu wound up in hysterics over a friendship unraveling, and he wouldn't bother their parents with that. But the world was rotten, and he knew he was far from making the world a safe place for people like Sayu. If anything had happened to her... if anyone had tried to hurt her... His hands began to itch just thinking about it.

She sniffled and pulled out her phone. The photo was already pulled up, and she showed it. It seemed harmless enough, just a group of kids sitting around a classroom. Until Light zeroed in on the chalkboard, with HEX written across it in big letters. He scanned it again, and sure enough, Sayu was sitting there, beaming like the absolute sunshine she was.

“You’ve been going to HEX meetings?” Light asked.

HEX was just one of many worker advocacy groups, but it was by far the best-known. While the official organization was composed of adults, the past decade or so led to the creation of “chapters” at various high schoolers. For the most part, the clubs were composed of workers, closeted-workers, wanna-be-workers, or otherwise edgy kids who root for anarchy. The meetings were always on Friday afternoons, and the location was usually undisclosed. It was supposedly so the members could maintain some form of anonymity, especially after a series of teenage worker suicides. Light personally thought if an after-school club that caused such bullying and social harm had no business existing. In his observations, very seldom does someone join HEX because they genuinely believe that decriminalizing minor curseworking would benefit society in the long run.

However, Sayu would be that type to join. Her optimism combined with her ability to befriend anyone (and genuinely befriend, not just charming them the way Light would) was bound to draw her towards advocacy sooner or later. And she was still too young to really know what was worth standing for.

“And someone took a picture of us,” Sayu whispered, tears bubbling up again. “Membership is supposed to be kept anonymous! But... But they sent it to everyone! And now everyone--”

“Is anyone in your organization actually a worker?”

“It doesn’t matter! Everyone is going to be treated like a worker from now on! No one wanted to sit with me during our test, and this guy I really liked… He made a joke about me trying to work his emotions, and now he isn’t texting me back,” Sayu cried. "Everyone keeps taunting me and asking me if Dad covers up my working... Or, or that kira--"

Light sighed and grabbed a box of tissues from his bedside table, handing it to her. He ignored her whispered “gross” and said, “Well, first, that guy sucks. Emotion work is nothing to joke about. And, trust me, you won’t need work of any kind to get a really great guy someday.”

She rolled her eyes. "That's not the point."

“This is going to pass, okay? I swear.” Light poked her cheek. “You know, a lot of people thought I was a worker. They thought I was using luck to get my grades. And then some guy accused me of working his girlfriend, because she broke up with him out of the blue to ask me out. People are so quick to jump to that conclusion. But eventually they’ll get over it.”

“But… but what if they aren’t wrong?”

Light’s chest tightened. “What do you mean?”

Sayu took a deep breath. “Light, I… I am a worker.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first time posting on AO3, as well as my first attempt at an actual Death Note fanfic  
This is an AU where, instead of getting a notebook of death, Light is a death worker. For those who haven't read Holly Black's Curse Worker series, I'll be explaining more about the rules and world in the next few chapters.  
Thanks again! :)


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